AJ Dybantsa arrived at BYU as ESPN's No. 1-ranked recruit in a loaded class. He cited his desire to avoid off-court distractions, with Dybantsa joining former NBA coach Kevin Young in Provo in hopes of a successful one-and-done stint. It's also a credit to the Cougars' laughably large NIL fund.
Dybantsa has delivered on what once felt like impossible expectations. He's one of the most baffling and mesmerizing athletes to grace a collegiate court in quite some time. Players his size should not move the way Dybantsa moves. It runs counter to all those lessons you learned in high school physics class. His joints are elastic. Next up, a long and successful NBA career.
Who is AJ Dybantsa?
Position: Small Forward
School: BYU
Height: 6'9
Weight: 210 lbs.
Draft Age, Class: 19, Freshman
Offensive Role: Wing Slasher
Defensive Role: Roamer
Dybantsa was easily the most hyped member of the 2025 recruiting class. While he will be forever compared to Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson — both contenders to go No. 1 in June — Dybantsa's high school mixtapes and highlight reels put him in rarefied air. He was a viral sensation, almost reminiscent of Zion Williamson. He also backed it up in high-stakes competition, as Dybantsa was named MVP of the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup.
While there were questions about Dybantsa's mindset and on-court habits coming into his freshman year at BYU, the talent was never really in doubt. He puts it on display practically every night. He's the most prolific wing scorer in college hoops: too strong, too explosive, and too fast for almost every matchup. NBA defenders will put up a better fight, but Dybantsa has the inside track to stardom.
Dybantsa's offensive strengths
- Downhill explosiveness
- Elasticity and footwork on drives
- Deep bag of tricks with his handle
- Strength to bulldoze smaller wings and guards
- Incredible touch and shot-making versatility
- Better-than-advertised passing flashes
Dybantsa is a special athlete, but for different reasons than a lot of folks seem to recognize. He's explosive, but he's not an Amen Thompson-level skywalker. Dybantsa's athleticism manifests in a slightly more nuanced fashion. He's bendy, shifty, able to leverage his incredible strength and speed by mixing in directional changes and forcing his man off-balance.
It's a bit wild to watch a 6-foot-9 wing dig as deep into their bag as Dybantsa does. He stacks countermoves on countermoves on countermoves. He can answer everything a defender throws at him, take advantage of every matchup edge he comes across. Dybantsa can get low to the floor, spin, pivot, stutter step — it's all at his disposal. More importantly, his tempo and command as a ball-handler has dramatically improved this season.
The main selling point, of course, would be Dybantsa's bucket-getting. And man, it's fun to watch. Dybantsa gets where he wants on the floor with relative ease. He isn't necessarily a blow-by athlete, but he can create angles and exploit them. He flows effortlessly into step-backs and pull-ups. He has a talent for tough, contested, pressure-cooker shots. His mechanics are much cleaner than they were in high school. His release more consistent.
Dybantsa has never been sold as a facilitator, but he's making real growth as a passer this season. He's able to deliver some advanced dimes on the move, coming around screens or kicking off of a drive. There's reason to believe he can develop into a proper offensive centerpiece sooner than later.
Dybantsa's defensive strengths
- Incredible tools and range
- Sticks at the point of attack
- Aggressively jumps passing lanes
- Converts turnovers into transition offense
- Potential as a weak-side shot blocker
Dybantsa should probably be the best defensive wing in the draft. He has every measurable and athletic gift necessary to dominant on that end of the floor. In high school, Dybantsa's reputation was that of an offensive lodestar who didn't always commit to playing defense. It has been more of the same at BYU.
When Dybantsa digs in to force a stop, he's an absolute monster. He has flexible hips and elite lateral agility, able to slide his feet, mirror ball-handlers, and suffocate at the point of attack. There are equally tantalizing flashes off-ball, with Dybantsa exploding into passing lanes and turning interceptions into points scored on the other end. He should also pick up some blocks roaming over from the weak side.
It's all about commitment for Dybantsa. If he locks in, he will be a special two-way force.
Where Dybantsa needs to improve
- Can settle for tough shots
- Lapses in effort and awareness on defense
- Overambitious on both ends
Dybantsa has been called a black hole in the past. It's probably not the most fair or accurate description, but it does speak to his chief issues as a prospect. There are times when Dybantsa simply settles, despite his innate ability to compromise and exploit a defense. He can get lulled into bad, contested long 2s. He can force ill-advised layups in a crowded paint. Sometimes, his passing reads lag behind just a hair.
NBA teams will want to see Dybantsa get up to speed as a processor and start to make full use of his incredible advantage creation skills, rather than bailing out the defense with unnecessary challenge shots.
On defense, Dybantsa has a tendency to fall asleep off-ball or get caught halfheartedly fighting through screens. That could improve with a simple reduction of offensive burden in the NBA, but it's mostly a mental thing. Dybantsa, again, has all the tools for success on defense. If he puts in the effort and keeps his head on a swivel, any perceived defensive weakness becomes an immediate strength.
NBA player comparisons for Dybantsa
DeMar DeRozan
This is probably the lower end of the comp spectrum for Dybantsa. DeMar DeRozan is a six-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA forward, but defensive limitations and an over-reliance on the mid-range limited his impact over the years. It took him a while to develop into a dependable playmaker for others, too. Dybantsa is more bendy athlete, but DeRozan's ability to surgically carve out iso buckets is not totally dissimilar to what Dybantsa does at BYU.
Kawhi Leonard
At the top, top, top end of the comp spectrum lies Kawhi Leonard. Dybantsa almost certainly won't achieve Leonard's status as an all-world defender — Leonard's massive hands and immovable core strength are singular — but there's a roadmap here offensively. Leonard meticuloiusly built up his frame, refined his footwork, and became one of the most unstoppable iso scorers in the league, with enough basic execution as a passer to carry an entire offense on his broad shoulders.
Jaylen Brown
This is the popular (modern) comp for Dybantsa. We don't need to get into the Tracy McGrady stuff. Jaylen Brown is a slick, explosive slasher who has gradually ramped up his 3-point volume to become one of the most balanced, prolific wing scorers in the NBA. He arrived in the NBA with similar questions about processing and perimeter shooting, but Brown's work ethic rendered those concerns moot. Hopefully, Dybantsa can follow a similar path and reach even greater heights.
Best NBA fits for AJ Dybantsa
Dallas Mavericks
Put Dybantsa next to another wing generator like Cooper Flagg, and your team will have a matchup advantage in almost every situation. Dallas has a solid defensive backbone, excellent off-ball spacers like Kyrie Irving and Max Christie, and the sort of immediate competitive engine that should help ease Dybantsa's NBA transition. If he's a co-star, rather than The One and Only Dude for his next team, that's probably for the best.
Indiana Pacers
Indiana is another ready-made contender, set to welcome back Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac at full strength next season. Indiana's up-tempo offense should align beautifully with Dybantsa, who's damn near unstoppable once he picks up a head of steam in transition. The outlet passes from Haliburton and Zubac — not to mention Dybantsa's ability to prop up the halfcourt offense in new and exciting ways — make this a real showtime possibility.
Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn spammed guard prospects in the 2025 draft, but the roster is still frigtfully short on guys who can consistent create advantages, pressure the rim, and set the offensive wheels in motion. Dybantsa has the chance to emerge day-one as Brooklyn's main halfcourt engine, with Nolan Traoré and Egor Dëmin spurring transition opportunities and Michael Porter Jr. stationed off-ball as a premium spacer.
Dybantsa's NBA Draft projection
Expected draft range: 1-3
There's no reason to expect Dybantsa to land any lower than No. 3, with the potential to rise as high as No. 1 depending on which team wins the lottery. Dybantsa's tools and upside are very convincing. Teams with the right infrastructure can feel especially good about his potential for growth as a defender and facilitator. That said, Cam Boozer and Darryn Peterson aren't going anywhere, so there's lingering uncertainty.
Why teams like him
Dybantsa offers arguably the highest ceiling in the 2026 draft. He will need to sharpen his approach on both ends, but if Dybantsa can speed up his processing to match the overwhelming athleticism and prodigious three-level shot-making, there's genuine, MVP-type potential down the road. He went to BYU for the right reasons (money notwithstanding) and it feels like Dybantsa has his head on straight, despite the viral nature of his pre-college breakout. There's not much holding him back.